Chapter 112 History of the Palace Outside the Qing Dynasty (15-1)

The report on the fall of Shanxi has not yet arrived in Beijing, and Beijing has already learned the details from foreign telegrams.The imperial court was shaken, and there was a great uproar. Weng Tonghe and Zeng Guoquan in Beijing advocated trying to find a way to seek peace, but they were so angry that even Prince Gong dared not agree. People around King Chun offered a proposal to imitate Wu Changqing's method of quelling the chaos in North Korea, and sent Zhang Shusheng, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, to "lead the troops bravely, go straight to Hue, and take the camera. The survey will make the country choose a worthy heir."

In addition, Wu Dacheng was sent to assist in Guangdong military affairs, and the Beiyang navy led Ding Ruchang to wait for Zhang Shusheng's dispatch.In addition, Peng Yulin and Zuo Zongtang, who had already arrived in Guangzhou and were setting up defenses at Humen, and Wang Debang's army, which was already on the way, were able to deal with the French army in a big way. However, Zhang Shusheng, who was brave enough to ask for a job, suddenly felt timid, and sent a telegram back to Beijing, saying that Haikou in Hue, Vietnam had been occupied by the French army for a long time, and there was no warship in Guangdong to transport troops.If it is difficult to travel from Qinzhou to Vietnam by crossing the 100,000 mountains, I still plan to detour to Longzhou, Guangxi and leave the town of Nanguan.At the same time, Li Hongzhang was reluctant to let Ding Ruchang go to Guangdong.It's not that I don't want to give up Ding Ruchang, it's that I don't want to part with the seven warships under Ding Ruchang's command. Therefore, we have to raise objections under the pretext of strict defense in Beiyang, which is close to the capital and fundamentally important.

This time, the plan of fighting at all costs has been greatly discounted, and it has also been clearly shown that the key to defending the plan lies in Li Hongzhang.Of course King Gong didn't want to go to war, but with King Chun around, it was inconvenient to make a public proposal, so he used his pre-ambush move to negotiate with Li Hongzao, and sent Zhang Peilun to Tianjin to discuss with Li Hongzhang face to face.Ask him, if there is a war with France, is he sure of winning? "How can we talk about being sure? You Qiao, you are also a good soldier, so how can you be sure about it?" Li Hongzhang said, "Tang and Xu are useless in my opinion, but if you all praise him, I will It is inconvenient to say more."

"Uncle Shi!" Zhang Peilun had no choice but to ask honestly: "But the plan will be settled?" "Difficult, difficult! I don't know what will happen in the future? The bad thing is Liu Yongfu, and Tang Weiqing, who speaks loudly, is added, and the situation has become stalemate." Li Hongzhang said again: "Before Tang Weiqing leaves the customs, first go to see Zeng Yuanfu. Fu gave a lot of encouragement and subsidized the luggage, so he got out of the customs. But what is Yuan Fu's argument now? You always know it in Beijing." "I also heard from Weng Shuping that Weng Zeng was quite close." Zhang Peilun replied: "Zeng Yuanfu's argument generally has three points: first, it should be sympathetic to the people's livelihood; There is a choice, not to be taken lightly."

"These three points are indeed right words. People's livelihood should be sympathetic, isn't it true? Zhili is now suffering from floods, if they still have to be dispatched, what is the fate of the people? It is not appropriate to use troops when things are more important. It can be seen that this is not true. I say it alone. As for listening to what is said, of course it refers to the way of speaking. Old nephew, clear discussions sometimes inevitably lead to mischief for the country, and the disaster of the former Eastern Party must be learned from. You and I are good friends. If I say this, you Don't get angry."

If someone else said this, Zhang Peilun would definitely be angry, but to Li Hongzhang, he could only return him with a wry smile. "The situation is really difficult. I also know the situation in the court. King Chun will regret it one day when he 'sees that people don't take the burden.' It doesn't seem to be useful. You Qiao, tell me, what is Lansun's plan?" Li Hongzhang has always spoken in an orderly manner, but these few words are disorganized.Zhang Peilun didn't know what his intention was?After thinking for a while, I still had no choice but to ask for advice: "I wanted to discuss an idea with Old Shishu."

"My idea is useless. Zeng Jie was in Paris just now, and he had a deadlock with the French government. It has become a luxury to think that the matter can be settled in Paris. Now we can only insist on waiting." "Keep waiting." Zhang Peilun repeated these four words and nodded repeatedly. "Nowadays everyone is talking about foreign affairs, how many people know foreign countries?" Li Hongzhang, in front of Zhang Peilun, relied on his elders to sell his elders, and used his comments as a satirical persuasion: "We are a big country in the sky, and we should get rid of the idea of ​​being the only one. Daring to bully others does not depend entirely on the strength of ships and guns. People also talk about strategies and reason. Although the national conditions are different, the public laws of all countries must be upheld. If they do not abide by the public laws of all countries, other countries cannot help even if they want to. Therefore, we When negotiating with others, you need to ask others for help. If you want to take advantage of the opportunity to take advantage of others, you must first understand the public law of the world. , Really few people understand, it really makes me anxious."

"Old Uncle Shi's words," Zhang Peilun said, "I am expressing my feelings. You might as well make it clear that we are in the Zongli Yamen, so we should be careful." "In everything, always look at the bad side first. It is common for two countries to go to war, but there is always a time for peace. Since ancient times, how many times have you seen two countries fighting for decades? If there is such a thing, it is also Both sides must be hurt." Li Hongzhang said, "Now when it comes to Vietnam, let me say something rude, you are the ones who tear down the filth, and I am the one who wipes your ass.

However, there are also ways to remove the filth, and you can't take the shit bowl on your head. " Speaking of this, Zhang Peilun was greatly moved, seven points of panic, three points of embarrassment, straightened his face, and said in a questioning tone: "Why did the old man say such a thing?" "You don't understand, do you? When it comes to this, I understand. Zeng Jiegang understands better. Why did he send telegrams back again and again, saying that he had to secretly help Liu Yongfu? Is his idea right or not? There is a deep meaning in doing this for the sake of In future peace negotiations, France will not be able to catch China's braid." Li Hongzhang stopped here and asked, "You Qiao, you said that France's use of troops in Vietnam is good for you?"

"It's nothing more than ceding land and paying compensation, and becoming a vassal." "If you have the land, what about the reparations? Vietnam can't pay for its military expenses. It's true that the saying goes, 'Don't be afraid of debt collectors, but only fear of debtors'. Did France just return empty-handed?" "Could it be..." Zhang Peilun suddenly realized, "Could it be that France is going to place the responsibility of paying military expenses on China?" "That's right!" Li Hongzhang nodded and said, "You understand. He's going to do everything possible to catch him, and you stretch your neck for fear that he won't be able to catch him. Aren't you too stupid? Tingji, who is currently dispatching troops, has quite a leak. Going out, it fell into the hands of the interviewers of the news paper, and it was a big one. In the future, if the negotiation finds responsibility, we can naturally deny it. But if we say that we declare war by issuing an edict, or use "bright hair" to motivate the army and the people, the edict will be issued brilliantly, and the world will reunite. See, if you want to pay for it, you can't afford it: At that time, people asked for military expenses, what should I say?"

Sure enough, according to what Li Hongzhang said, if he declares war openly, he cannot escape the responsibility. Wouldn't it be that he put a shit bowl on his head?Zhang Peilun was very impressed, and immediately said: "In the future, when I am in the Prime Minister's Office, I will have to work on this aspect." "That's right! That's right!" Li Hongzhang said happily, "I can give you a few sets of books, which are really practical knowledge, Youqiao, when you deal with foreigners in the Zongli Yamen, you must always remember four things. Word: Stand firm. Especially when it comes to fighting, you must never start a quarrel first. This is the most important point in the public law of all nations, remember! Remember!" After talking like this for two days, Zhang Peilun realized that the military affairs were not sure, so he returned to Beijing to return to his command, and dared not insist on the main battle again.The proposal of assigning Cen Yuying to send troops to Hue, Nanjing City, Vietnam to settle the chaos will not be mentioned again.In fact, Cen Yuying didn't dare to be reckless, and expressed his dissent, saying that Yunnan is the gateway to the western frontier, and the relationship is very important, and at the beginning of leaving the customs, the morale of the army is uncertain, so it is inconvenient to look far away.This "trick" was put on hold. New Year in a blink of an eye.The Emperor Linyu is in the ten-year period, and the Empress Dowager Cixi is also fifty years old.The three major events of the emperor's personal administration, the wedding, and the longevity of the queen mother have already been talked about, but the frontiers are not peaceful, so they dare not talk about it openly.So even though the New Year is sunny and sunny, the ups and downs are not in a good mood. Perhaps, the only exception is Zeng Guoquan, who finally got his wish. On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, Liang Jiang handed over a memorial, and Zuo Zongtang asked for a vacancy.His eye disease was quite serious, and he resigned from office in October last year, and he was ordered to give three months of leave for recuperation.At this time, it is natural to retire as the best policy, and the words in the memorial are quite sincere.In order to express my determination to go, I also added a clip of "choose your own generation": "Liangjiang has a vast land and abundant resources, all of which depend on the management of people, and talents are formed through experience. If the quality is correct and the aspirations are upward, then the governance will have a foundation, and the future achievements will also be impressive. I secretly saw Yulu, the governor of Anhui Province, who was sincere, generous and simple, and thoughtful about his talents, which is rare among the ministers in Xinjiang. Yang Changjun, the governor of Cao Cao, is upright and fair, and has an easy-going temperament. He has been in Fanju all the time, and he has won the harmony of the people. He has worked with him for many years and knows him best. Zeng Guoquan, the former governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, was honest and talented, and when encountering Sino-foreign negotiations, he was harmonious and restrained.On the day when he left for office, the scholars and common people in the middle of Guangdong Province loved him and never replaced him, and people from afar respected him. " Recommended talents are classified as "accompanying", and the one listed first is naturally "just".Empress Dowager Cixi also knew Yulu, who was the son of Chonglun, governor of Hubei in the early years of Xianfeng.Chonglun has two sons, the eldest is called Yude, whose virtue is better than talent, and a famous Hanlin who does not know much. He read "Historical Records Fengchan Book" and was at a loss, so he called it "the book of immortals".But the second son, Yulu, is a capable member of the banner people. He was appointed as an officer with a pen post, and he was sent out to serve as a soldier in Rehe, and he was promoted to an Anhui feudal commander.He was the governor of Anhui in the 13th year of Tongzhi, and he was under thirty. At that time, there was a local tyrant in Anhui, Li Shizhong who was recruited by Shengbao.Although this person is an admiral, he has not changed his traitorous nature. He is entrenched in Huaiyang, and his land is connected with salt lords and water is connected with lake bandits. His momentum is astonishing.Because his original name was Zhaoshou, he was nicknamed "Shou Wang". Li Shizhong has a deadly enemy, Chen Guorui.But Chen Guorui is Chun Wang's favorite general, with this Austrian aid, he naturally has the upper hand.Therefore, Li Shizhong became increasingly hostile to the government and conspired to rebel.However, the veterans of the two rivers, the Xianghuai, and the Huaihe River, once there are policemen, they can't take advantage of it, so Li Shizhong recruited troops in Henan instead. After a long time, rumors leaked out, and Yu Lu secretly asked Li Shizhong to kill him, so as to avoid future troubles. Chao ordered the camera to handle it, and solemnly warned not to startle the snake and cause accidents. Due to Li Shizhong's many followers, of course Yulu could not openly attack, and secretly discussed with his aides, and came up with a wise strategy.It happened that Li Shizhong returned to Anhui from Henan and passed through Anqing, so Yulu posted a post to invite him to a banquet. When the wine was half full, Yulu took out the secret decree and asked people to read it to Li Shizhong. At the same time, the ambushing soldiers rushed up and bound Li Shizhong.After everything was in order, Li Shizhong's family was notified, saying that the punishment was ordered, but in order to save the Li family's face, there was no need to declare the canonical punishment, and only said to the outside world that he died suddenly before the feast, and there was also a pension.What do you mean by asking the Li family? What else can the Li family say?A snake has no head but can't do it, the henchman of the mob, dare to correct the crowd to rebel?On the contrary, the Li family is grateful for Yulu's thoughtfulness.A hidden danger, disappearing invisible, Yulu's handling, rewarded by the court, and persuaded by the same officials, is famous for it.The governor of Anhui has been in power for ten years, and he can perfunctory Zuo Zongtang to the heart, recommending himself as his substitute, and his skills are really not weak. Therefore, when the Empress Dowager Cixi allowed Zuo Zongtang to open his vacancy and return to his hometown to recuperate from illness for four months, she sent Yulu to act as an agent and concurrently appointed the Minister of Trade and Commerce. Zuo Zongtang has a recommendation card, but the outside world doesn't know about it.Therefore, this court order gave people a sense of abruptness, and it can also be said to be a sense of surprise.The governor of Liangjiang can almost be said to be the most lacking among Xinjiang officials. Yulu's qualifications are really not enough for this important task.Although the Nanyang Minister in charge of the southeast coastal defense did not send Yu Lu to act concurrently, implying that the court would replace Jian with another important minister, but the Nanyang Minister is not as self-contained as the Beiyang Minister. On the other hand, some people thought that when the situation was difficult, Zuo Zongtang retired, fearing the nearness and being difficult to avoid, and there were more dissatisfaction on the way of speaking, and they said "please be responsible for the righteousness, and let him take care of it in office".This is equivalent to saying that at this time, there should be heroes with negative prestige guarding the two rivers. "Hearing the drums, think about the soldiers", so from the Empress Dowager Cixi to the Minister of Military Aircraft, they all agreed that Zeng Guoquan should be the governor of Liangjiang. By the time Zeng Guoquan appointed Jiang Governor and Yu Lu returned to serve as governor of Anhui, Cen Yuying had already left the customs. The eighth battalion of new troops recruited by Wang Debang in Yongzhou, Hunan Province was about to arrive in Longzhou, while the French army approached Beining by land and water. , the outbreak of the war is imminent. Cen Yuying set off from Kunming in November, carrying eight big sedan chairs, and walked slowly, and it took half a month to get to Mengzi.Going south from here, entering the border of Vietnam, the road was difficult. Overcoming obstacles all the way, they arrived in Baosheng, where they exchanged horses with the governor of Yunnan. Tang Jiong returned to the province, and Cen Yuying took over the defense. The Xingyuan was set up in a Guandi temple, the place was not big, Cen Yuying summoned the generals in the main hall every day, and received Vietnamese officials.After careful questioning, I realized that the situation was not good, so Xingye bowed and Chen Ming was in trouble: "Since Shanxi is lost, the more difficult things are, the legal person can separate from Xinghua and Xuanguang to invade Yunnan, and Xinghua City is on the riverside, the situation in Shanxi is particularly difficult to defend. Xuanguang has no soldiers stationed, it is even more dangerous, and we must take care of everything. From Mengzi to Xinghua, the land journey is more than 1,600 miles, from Kaihua to Xuanguang, the land journey is more than 1,200 miles, and there are more than 400 miles from Manxia to Baosheng. Rugged, sparsely populated along the way, there are many ferocious beasts. Soldiers packed their food, overcame thorns and thorns, trekking hard. From Manxiao to Baosheng, although the waterway is accessible, there are only 20 to 30 small boats, which can carry three to four hundred people. Once, it will take more than ten days. If it is from Baosheng Waterway to Xinghua, it will take more than 30 days to go back and forth. If you want to haste, you will be extremely anxious. After repeated planning, you can only advance by land and water. Yuan sent the named admiral Wu Yongan to lead the three battalions and gallop Go to Kaihua. The governor sent three battalions including Chen Anbang, the deputy general who left the customs, and a total of six battalions. They rushed from Heyang to Xuanguang and chose to garrison. Marching forward one after another, the minister led a small team of soldiers and advanced in a light boat. He arrived at Baosheng on December 11. He had the same opinion as Tang Jiong on the distribution of merchants. According to the reports of the registered general Ding Huai and the general Zhang Yongqing, it has been Outside the city of Xinghua, it was strangled to prevent blockage. The soldiers led by Tang Jingsong, who were in charge, retreated from Shanxi to Xinghua, and returned to Beining by detour on the fourth day of December. Liu Yongfu, the general of the south, was stationed in Xinghua, but all the cannons were lost. Many small guns were also lost. In counties such as Qingbo and Xiahe in the upper reaches of Xinghua, the religious people were in chaos one after another, and the newspapers were almost blocked. The officials and others are now earnestly ordering the general soldier Ding Huai and others to make preparations and closely guard them. They also sent Li Yanzhi, the magistrate Wait for the second battalion to go to Qinghe and Xiabo to station in Anmin, and distribute Huyongfu's quick guns and medicines for capital rectification, ordering him to strictly restrain his troops and abide by discipline. He also issued Wennan officials to abolish tyranny and clean up the hearts of the people. Once the general soldiers and horses When Zhu and other battalions arrived, Chen Yuying went to the Xinghua area in person to investigate and arrange the layout. Once he had a clue, he went out from Xuanguang beside Xinghua to supervise the admiral Wu Yongan and others. , help each other with one heart and one heart, and respect the sincerity of the deputy's holy intention. On the road of Baosheng and Xinghua, the Dian army and Liu Tuan worked together, and they must gain the trust of the two armies. Dao Cen Yubao transferred from the provinces to take care of them together." This was a move that Cen Yuying paid attention to Liu Yongfu and painstakingly arranged, because Liu Yongfu and the Dian army were not in harmony, which was a big taboo before the battle.And there are more difficulties: "I heard that this time the legal person is operating with all its strength, and there are more than 10,000 members of the bandit party in various places in Vietnam. The boats are many and powerful, and the situation is quite rampant. The Dian army has no ships and few cannons, so it is even more difficult to save. It is necessary for the Guangdong and Fujian naval forces to attack Vietnam's coastal defenses in order to divide the enemy's power; Guangxi and Yunnan should increase their troops and pay, and cooperate with each other to make full use of their strengths in water and land warfare. Only then can they quickly recover. There are people who should guard Haikou and don’t know the warships, can they be allocated? The ministers dare not make rash plans, how to deal with it is up to the Holy Judgment.” It was also Xu Yanxu's wish to dispatch warships from Guangdong and Fujian to attack from the waterways, but in fact it was impossible.The imperial court received Cen Yuying's report, but did not mention this request at all.However, "Army preparations outside the border must be under the control of a single authority", so it was clearly stipulated that all frontier defense troops, including Xu Yanxu's troops, should be controlled and dispatched by Cen Yuying. Of course, what Cen Yuying valued most was the Black Banner Army, and what Liu Yongfu valued most was Tang Jingsong.Therefore, Cen Yuying invited Tang Jingsong to Baosheng, made a complete set of winter clothes for him, gave him a supplementary salary, hosted banquets every day, and regarded him as the first seat.This deliberate win over made Tang Jingsong tearfully grateful and volunteered to persuade Liu Yongfu for Cen Yuying, and to help the Yunnan Army. Liu Yongfu was so angry with the officers and soldiers that he would gnash his teeth when he mentioned it, so Tang Jingsong had to use means to understand the temperament of a bloody man.Almost disheartened, Liu Yongfu's intestines finally warmed up again, saying that everything will be tolerated for the time being, and everyone will settle accounts after a good battle or two. After this dredging, Cen Yuying sailed eastward in a new year and was stationed at Jiayuguan, thirty miles away from Xinghua. Liu Yongfu was accompanied by Tang Jingsong to see him.Cen Yuying is sinister and resolute, has a deep city, knows people and handles things, and has a set of unfathomable skills. He sees Liu Yongfu as a reckless hero, and wants to use the method of "capturing Meng Huo seven times" to subdue him. Therefore, when Liu Yongfu arrives, he will come first to show his prestige, and the officers and soldiers will line up with swords and guns like forests.But Liu Yongfu didn't care too much, although he was a little timid, it wasn't that he was afraid of weapons, but just like a bridegroom, he felt that he was too much attention. Of course, Cen Yuying staged this scene to set off his condescension to Liu Yongfu. He greeted Liu Yongfu with an unusual intimacy, and kept calling Liu Yongfu's name: "Yuan Ting, Yuan Ting!" Those who taught him called him "Marshal" and saluted him. Cen Yuying thanked him and bowed in reply. "I could have arrived a day earlier. When I disembarked the boat the day before yesterday, suddenly the sky was dark and the sky was stormy. It looked like the boat would sink, so I had to go ashore." Cen Yuying said calmly: "When I disembarked the boat the day before yesterday, it looked like this again. It seems that there is something supernatural about it. , I asked someone to fetch a piece of yellow paper, and wrote the four big characters in Zhu Shu with my own handwriting, "Gods are free from ginseng". After Xiang Kong was burned, Yuan Ting, do you know how?" Liu Yongfu answered honestly: "I don't know." "It's strange to say that the boat sailed just now that the clouds were clear and the sea was calm, but it took a day. Yuan Ting," Cen Yuying seemed to say seriously: "Next time you go out, if you encounter such a situation, you might as well take care of it." Doing it this way will save the day." This means that Liu Yongfu will also be like him in the future, closing borders and opening a mansion, and when he becomes a first-rank official, he will be protected by the gods in the dark.Liu Yongfu naturally understood his compliment, but instead of feeling happy, he sighed deeply. "Yuanting, why are you sighing?" "Marshal!" Liu Yongfu replied: "I will never have the blessing of Marshal. I was born with a hard life." "Me too, my parents died when I was young, and I was raised by my aunt..." Next, Cen Yuying talked about his life experience, but he couldn't do without nonsense.How to get sick and die at the age of seven, how to go to the Senluo Palace, how to refuse to drink "Meng Po Soup", how to mention Cen Yuying's name, the king of Hades was shocked, scolded the little ghost for mentioning nobles, and how to make the judge send him back to Yang ? Liu Yongfu listened quietly, the faces of the two people, apart from the extremely dark skin color, had very different expressions, one was very energetic and the other was quite lonely.Cen Yuying saw that something was wrong, put away the gossip and got to the point. "Yuanting, how many people do you have now?" "More than three thousand two hundred." "There are not many battalions." Cen Yuying looked at Tang Jingsong and asked, "What do you think?" Liu Yongfu was called "Liu Tuan" in the imperial edict, and he was regarded as a regiment trainer, while the Bian Chen's memorial called him "Southern General", and now he will be officially reorganized into an official army. This is what Tang Jingsong talked to Liu Yongfu a long time ago. . So Tang Jingsong accompanied Liu Yongfu to the south at starry night to help Beining.The next day we arrived at Tunhe, thirty miles northwest of Shanxi.Here, the Lujiang River, Taojiang River, and Tuojiang River, which are commonly known as the intersection of the three rivers of Lushui River, Hongshui River, and Heishui River, are also known as Sanjiangkou. In Shanxi, the market is extremely depressed, and it is impossible to replenish supplies.Liu Yongfu immediately ordered to cross the Tuojiang River and head east, but the French army who was close at hand did not notice. When they arrived in Beining, Liu Yongfu refused to enter the city. The 12th Battalion was stationed in Anfeng County, seven miles away from Beining. Tang Jingsong led a dozen of his own soldiers to meet Huang Guilan and contact Zhao Wo. Both Huang Guilan and Zhao Wo were called commanders before the army, and the two armies were divided, one on the right and the other on the left.Huang Guilan is an admiral, much older than Zhao Wo, a Taoist priest, but the rank of a civil servant is more valuable, and Zhao Wo is Xu Yanxu's confidant, so the defense of Beining is decided by the layman Zhao Wo.And Zhao Wo trusts a deputy general, Dang Minxuan, who is a famous "oil rag" in the green camp. . "I'm not in good health, and I'm suffering from a lot of illnesses. I've been thrown into wasteland for thousands of miles. I really don't know why I came here?" Zhao Wo stammered while coughing. Seeing his haggard appearance, and hearing his weak words, Tang Jingsong's heart was half cold at first, but he couldn't help but encourage him a few words: "In the face of the enemy, we still have to rely on Qing Weng's prestige... .” "What prestige?" He shook his hand and interrupted Tang Jingsong's words, "Battlefield officers and soldiers are arrogant and lawless, and the salary of the Guangxi army is less than that of the Yunnan army. It is really difficult to lead. Dude, I really want to make a good man!" It sounds like Tang Jingsong intends to replace him.This is not speculative, and it seems that there is nothing to talk about. Tang Jingsong perfunctory for a while, then got up to leave. Huang Guilan was not as unbearable as she imagined.He was Li Hongzhang's little fellow townsman, and he spoke a strong Hefei dialect, which sounded very harsh, but he was literate and articulate, so the words were not difficult to understand.With a long body and beard, and a good appearance, Tang Jingsong's impression of him is much better than that of Zhao Wo. His name was Huiting, so Tang Jingsong called him "Huai Shuai", exchanged greetings, and asked for advice on how to defend in battle. "Wei Weng Mingda, there must have been news. There are villains around Zhao Qingchi, who are in many ways, and it is difficult to teach people." Huang Guilan first accused Dang Minxuan, and then talked about his approach: "I lead the right army, I can only do what I can. The layout is generally considered to be well-planned, and the city of Beining can be defended firmly. Wait for Wang Fangbo’s Chu army to leave the customs before discussing progress.” Wang Fangbo refers to Wang Debang, and his previous official position was the governor of Fujian, so he is called Fangbo. "Huai Shuai, the French army is getting closer and closer, and the Chu army may not be able to arrive for a while." Tang Jingsong replied: "Forgive me for being frank, I think Beining can't rely on both the battle and the defense. There are too many forces, the camp is too scattered, and the response is not effective. Can't fight." "My original owner sticks to it." "It's also very difficult to defend. Although the city of Beining is strong, the French cannons are different now. When a cannonball enters the city, where can the defenders hide?" When Huang Guilan heard this, she couldn't help being taken aback, raised her beard and asked, "Then I should ask for advice, will the plan be settled?" "It is best to dig a 'camp' at a key pass several miles away from the city, and use the field as the defense of the city." "What is 'camp'?" The "ground camp" is the regulation of the Yunnan Army. The ground is dug as a pit, about six feet deep, and its size depends on the terrain. Wooden pillars are placed around the pit, about one foot above the ground, and the gaps between the pillars are used as gun holes.The pillars are then paved with wood and covered with soil.In this way, not only is it low and unaffected by artillery, but it is also difficult to detect from a distance, so it can hide the enemy. "That's a good idea." Huang Guilan asked, "Where is the way out?" "The way out is behind the pit. Open a slope to enter the pit. Put a wooden fence at the entrance of the pit, and put down the wooden fence. As long as one person guards there, no one in the pit can get out, so as to avoid the disadvantage of collapse." Tang Jingsong said enthusiastically: "If there are a lot of people, you can build more battalions, make troughs underground, and each battalion is connected. Ammunition, food and fodder may also be stored in the ground camp. Outside the camp, you can also open open troughs, which are as high as the people and about five feet wide. It is only one zhang long, and every zhang should have a turning point. Why? If it is too wide, the shell will hit easily, but if it hits, only the area of ​​this zhang will be damaged. This is the benefit of every zhang turning." "If there are hidden slots, why use open slots?" "The open trough is to facilitate the detection of the enemy's situation. It's all in the dark pit, and the enemy's situation is unknown, so it's not a good way." Tang Jingsong also said: "Besides the camp, it's best to use twigs, wrapped in vines, and arranged in three layers. This is the so-called 'antler' in ancient times. If you plant landmines around the camp, you will be more prepared, but you must be far away from the camp twenty feet away, so as not to blow yourself up." The scholar talked about the war, and he was actually very logical, but Huang Guilan couldn't listen to it, thinking that such an approach was too bizarre and troublesome, so she shook her head. "I am determined to defend the city." He was stubborn and confident, "I have four battalions, and the French army can't do anything to me." Another non-speculative one.Tang Jingsong made up an idea at this time, first surveyed the surroundings by himself, decided on a strategy for the battle and defense, and directly suggested to Xu Yanxu, asking him to order Zhao and Huang to follow suit. Two days later, Tang Jingsong set off from Beining, went northeast to Langshan outside Zhennan Pass, and went to see Xu Yanxu, the governor of Guangxi. Xu Yanxu is a native of Shandong, whose name is Xiaoshan. He was a Jinshi in the tenth year of Xianfeng. He distributed Dangzhi County in Guangxi and started his business.He and Lu Chuanlin are in-laws, and Lu Chuanlin is Zhang Zhidong's brother-in-law, just like Tang Jiong is Zhang Zhidong's brother-in-law. Based on this relationship, Qingliu has to recommend him.Although Xu Yanxu has the reputation of being a capable member, it was in his early years. Now that he is old and sick, he is regarded by Qingliu as General Fubo, Ma Yuan, and expects him to build a bronze watch in Zhennan Pass. It is really hard to say. "Beining can't be kept!" Xu Yanxu sighed sadly, "Oh! Zhao Qingchi and Huang Huiting misled me too much!" Before he could finish a sentence, a person came in, he looked like a small military officer, but he said loudly as if no one was there: "How about it, I say Chen Degui is not good, right? Fuliang has fallen!" Tang Jingsong had heard for a long time that Xu Yanxu had a confidant servant, and he got a general from the military merit protection case. He was often ordered by his master to pass messages to each battalion. Everyone called him "Old Han". Criticize the generals, but Xu Yanxu believes that he has eyes and ears, and he trusts them.Judging by his appearance now, he must be Lao Han. Sure enough, Xu Yanxu asked hastily: "Old Han, tell me slowly, what's going on?" "French soldiers attacked Fuliang, and Chen Degui lost the fort." Lao Han said, "Please send reinforcements from Beining, but Commander Huang refused to send troops immediately. After a long delay, he sent three battalions of soldiers defending the city to rescue them. On the way, I heard that Fuliang had collapsed, so I hurried back to Beining." "Oops!" Tang Jingsong listened to the side, and suddenly lost his voice, "Beining is over!" "Why, how?" Xu Yanxu asked anxiously, "How do you know?" "Where are there soldiers defending the city, who can help Fuliang sixty miles away? If they are defeated, they will not be able to return to the city. If the city is accepted, the enemy will just follow them, which is equivalent to opening the door and stealing. Huang Junmen like this If we use troops, wouldn't Beining be in danger?" "That's right, but there is the Black Banner Army..." "What about the Black Banner Army?" Old Han interjected loudly, "They won't fight at all." "No way!" Tang Jingsong was a little annoyed, staring at Lao Han, scolding unceremoniously: "Why do you say that?" "Is it true..." "Old Han," Xu Yanxu couldn't help showing respect to the guests, and shouted to Xiao Xiao's arguing footman, "You go down first." Of course Xu Yanxu knew that Liu Shuifu had deep regrets for the Gui army. Although he was ordered to rush to Beining, he might not be willing to obey his orders.So I asked Huang Pengnian, a Taoist in the camp affairs office of the general office, to go to EQ with Tang Jingsong, and asked him to go to Beining to supervise the battle, so that he could mobilize the Black Banner Army to fight against the French army. This is a matter of duty, Tang Jingsong graciously agreed, and immediately went to see Xu Yanxu to say goodbye.But Xu Yanxu hesitated again, because Tang Jingsong was a benevolent family member who was highly valued by the court. The last time Shanxi fell, the decree was particularly concerned about his whereabouts. "Beining is a dangerous place." Xu Yanxu said hesitantly, "It's fine if you don't go." "There's no reason not to go. I'll be going right away." So Xu Yanxu selected a few good horses and asked Tang Jingsong to rush to Beining immediately with his own soldiers.Thinking about it afterwards, I was still afraid that Liu Yongfu would be angry and refused to send troops, so he wrote another letter with his own hand, drew a command arrow, and sent Lao Han and a Mr. Qian surnamed Guan to order Liu Yongfu to go to war immediately. Tang Jingsong drove fast in the starry night. On the third day, he arrived at Langjia, not far from Beining. There is a grain platform here, and there are a lot of arms and supplies. It should be easy to inquire about the news.But when asked, we only know that the top of Chung Kyu Mountain to the east of Beining has been occupied by the French army, blocking Beining's retreat, and the situation is extremely critical.Tang Jingsong was so worried that he crossed the Liang River overnight.When I wanted to cross the Yongqiu River to Beining, I got the news that Beining had fallen and the defeated army could not retreat. The whereabouts of Zhao Wo and Huang Guilan were unknown. What about the Black Banner Army?Tang Jingsong judged the situation, and Liu Yongfu must retreat to the north to defend Baosheng all the way. In the Gui army, of course he had to defend Langjia, and he had to return to Langjia first. When I arrived at Langjia, I learned the details of Beining from the mouth of Kuu Zu who fled back from Jiandao.When the French army invaded Beining from Fuliang, Zhao Wo and Huang Guilan each led their own soldiers and urged the fourth battalion defending the city to fight ten miles east of the city.Huang Guilan sent someone to ask for help, but Liu Yongfu's black flag only waved for a while, and the French army became wary, and the offensive eased suddenly, but Liu Yongfu refused to take any further action. Only rein in the soldiers but not send out.Huang Shouzhong of the former battalion couldn't help but want to leave the team, which also made Liu Yongfu stop. The matter was urgent and helpless, Huang Guilan offered a reward of 20,000 taels of silver, but Liu Yongfu ignored it.At this time, the French gunboat sailed into the Chung Kau River, pulled the cannon ashore, dragged it to the top of Chung Kyu Mountain, and bombarded Bac Ninh from a high position.A series of three artillery shells penetrated into the city of Beining, and the market was in chaos. The governor of Beining, Vietnam, Zhang Dengxi, fled in a hurry.The news of the change in the rear spread to the front, and the morale of the army was in turmoil. Zhao Wo and Huang Guilan wanted to retreat with the whole army, but it was impossible. He fled back to the city, but he couldn't keep it if he wanted to. Seeing the situation, Huang Guilan closed the door of the room, hanged himself from the beam, and saved him for his subordinates. With the seal of the admiral of Guangxi, he hurriedly helped him onto the horse. , retreating to Taiyuan, north of Beining.The next day, Liu Yongfu's 12th Battalion also retreated to Taiyuan, and they couldn't help but feel ashamed to see Huang Guilan.What he meant was to make Huang Guilan and Zhao Wo suffer a little bit, and only sent troops to rescue them when they were in the most critical situation. One was to report old grudges, and the other was to show off the combat power of the Black Banner Army.Unexpectedly, there was a sudden change in the rear, and the four battalions in front were too useless, so that Beining was lost by mistake. Xu Yanxu in Lang Son still had great expectations for Liu Yongfu, but before the good news came, Lao Han had already returned to pay the order. "Come back so quickly?" Xu Yanxu asked, "Did the letter arrive?" "No." Xu Yanxu was shocked: "Why didn't you vote?" He looked at Lao Han intently, and made a new discovery: "Why did you have a blue nose and swollen eyes?" This is the scar from the beating for Boss Guan Qian.When the two of them walked to the Liang River, they heard the sound of gunfire on the other side. Lao Han was timid and dared not cross the river. "If you don't go with you, I will go." Mr. Guan Qian stretched out his hand: "Give me the letter from Futai and the command arrow!" Lao Han refused to give it, otherwise he would not be able to deal with Xu Yanxu. "No!" He blatantly replied: "The letter was given to me, and I won't vote if I say no." "Bring it!" Mr. Guan Qian's face sank, "You don't know people, don't blame me for being rude." "What do you dare to do?" Old Han was more ruthless than him, "Could it be that you still dare to beat someone?" Before he finished his sentence, he slapped his face hard, "You treat me as if I dare not beat you!" Mr. Guan Qian continued It was a kick, kicking Lao Han to the ground, punching and kicking, and cursing: "Your grandma! Beat you brother-in-law. Xu Futai is blind, try to be a bastard. I," He took off the big hat on his head and threw it on the ground: "I won't be his officer anymore. I'm going to join the Yunnan Army." After speaking, he picked up the big hat again, dusted it off, and put it on his head On the road, stride north along the Liang River to vote for Cen Yuying. This is a very embarrassing thing. Of course, Lao Han refused to tell the truth. Fortunately, Mr. Guan Qian had already joined the Yunnan Army, and he was not afraid of being exposed when he lied, so he faltered and replied: "The road is not easy to walk, and I fell down." "Where's the letter?" Xu Yanxu pointed to his hand and asked, "What did you take?" "I didn't vote for the letter. I thought and thought, it's better not to vote than to vote." "What?" Xu Yanxu turned pale with anger, "Is it you who decide, or me? Well, well, let me explain the truth first! " "Of course I have a reason." Lao Han puffed up his stomach like a frog trying to resist arrest, "I was afraid that there would be some scolding words in the letter, so I voted to make him angry, so I didn't vote." "Hey!" Xu Yanxu stomped his feet again and again, "You're so smart! What am I scolding him for? My letter promised him a bonus of 20,000 silver for conquering Beining. You, you," he slapped his sleeve and held one finger Pointed straight to Lao Han's nose, "You missed my big deal! I can't tolerate you anymore." When Lao Han heard this, his heart sank, and it seemed that he wanted military law to do it.Judging from the usual situation of obedience, it is not the case.However, in any case, a big joke has been made, and it is not good to spread it.Things are urgent and helpless, so I can only find a reason in the unreasonable. "So do you know it's such a letter? Usually when you mention Liu, you scold someone, and when you talk about the Black Banner Army, people naturally think that there is nothing good in this letter." After finishing speaking, he stuffed the letter and Lingjian into Xu Yanxu's arms, proudly go. 徐延旭没工夫去理会这件事，接二连三派出探马去打听前方的情形，兵败的消息亦接二连三地报到谅山。郎甲一失，辎重尽弃，越发枪法大乱。一会儿要改变营制，抽调精锐，重新编组；一会儿要责成各军，划地分守；一会儿要调动各军，改变防区，只见他一个人如掐了头的苍蝇似的，奔进奔出，仓皇万状。 惶乱之中，亦有定见，那就是星夜奏劾败将，在呈报北宁失守的奏折中，附了三个夹片：第一片严劾陈得贵失却扶良的炮台；第二片参黄、赵二人“弃地先逃”；第三片弹得不错，赵沃的副将党敏宣，所领六营，不战而退；党敏宣以找寻右路统领赵沃为名，星夜后撤，真正是“弃地先进”。 赵沃和黄桂兰辗转逃回谅山，两个人住在一起，闭门思过，不见外客。不久，黄桂兰接到两广总督衙门一封文书，紫花大印，是张树声的亲笔，痛骂他丧师失律，将淮军的面子丢得光光。黄桂兰看完信烧掉，默无一言，到了半夜里，吞了一牛角盒子的“洋药”倒在床上，闭目待死。 很快地为家人所发觉。黄桂兰的部属，一半抽“洋药”，一半带眷属，他本人亦带着姨太太在营里，发觉他寻了短见，一面急救，一面去告诉同住的赵沃。 “不用来叫我！”赵沃在屋中答道：“黄军门约我一同寻死，我正在写家书，还没有到死的时候。他志在必死，你们不必救他，救亦无用。” really.黄家请了医生来急救，黄桂兰拒不受药，延到第二天中午，一命呜呼。 北宁失守的电报，是由李鸿章发到总理衙门的，语焉不详，而徐延旭却有个奏折到京，说北宁并无警报。这是二十天以前的事，相隔未几，何致有此突变？军机大臣相顾惊疑，只等恭王来拿主意。 恭王从大病以后，就不大入值，要来亦常常晚到，这天直到午前十一点钟才坐轿进宫。看了一电一折，半天不响。 “先拿电报递上去吧？”李鸿藻问。电报已经由军机章京另外用正楷抄了一份，预备用黄匣子呈上御前。 “北洋的消息也未见到靠得住，这么三两句话，连个失守的日子都没有，上头问起来，怎么回奏。明天再说好了。” 到了明天，北洋大臣李鸿章又来一个电报：“北宁十五失守，华兵亡者无数。”不说“官兵”或者“我军”而说“华兵”，可知所根据的是外国新闻纸的电报，而“亡”之一字，大家却都知道，不是死亡之亡，是逃亡之亡。 恭王不曾入值，上头却已在叫起，而北洋的第二个电报又到了，证实北宁确于二月十五失守，又说徐延旭株守谅山，并以北宁无警，拒绝“刘团”请援。 “怎么办？”李鸿藻面色凝重地说：“赶紧把六爷请来吧！” “来不及了。”宝鋆摇着手说，“咱们上去。” “上去得有个说法……” “说什么？”宝鋆抢着说：“早就知道不能打的！事到如今，反正总要有人倒霉，第一个当然是徐晓山。” 说完，他领头先走，进养心殿行了礼，当面递上电报。慈禧太后勃然色变，“怎么说？”她的双眼睁得极大，“到底把个北宁丢掉了！徐延旭一再上折子，说北宁不要紧，问到大家，亦总说守得住，弄到临了，是这么一个结果，再下去不就应该丢云南、丢广西了吗？” “镇南关是天险，一夫当关，万人莫敌，法国兵大概不敢进犯。”宝鋆又说，“徐延旭措置乖方，请旨严谴。” “这自然要严办。不过就杀了他又何济于事？你们总要有个切实办法拿出来才好。” “事情总归于和局……。” “和，和！”慈禧太后厉声说道：“除了议和，你们就不会办别的事吗？” 宝鋆碰了个大钉子，面色灰白，额上已见了汗，只是连连碰头，没有话说，于是李鸿藻开口了。 “北宁一失，不独云南吃紧，广东琼州的防线，亦要当心。臣的意思，一方面责成岑毓英督促徐延旭戴罪图功，极力进取；一面饬知张树声、彭玉麟实力筹备，严密防范。” 慈禧太后不作声，好半天才很不情愿似的说了声：“也只好这样了。” "yes!" “我看徐延旭不行。”慈禧太后又说，“得要找个人替他。” 徐延旭的底蕴已经大白，粉饰推诿，一无是处，其人本就既老且病，如果军务方面不行，其他就没有用处了。这样的人，自然应该立刻解职，但谁是继任其职的适当人选？只为此难，所以从宝鋆到翁同和都不开口，现在慈禧太后一口说破，枢臣不能不承旨办理。 “张佩纶、张之洞都曾力保徐延旭、唐炯，不想如此辜负圣恩！”宝鋆答道：“容臣等与恭亲王商议了，再回奏请旨。” “对了！还有个唐炯，上年擅自进关，就跟临阵潜逃一样，可恶得很，应该跟徐延旭一案处分。” 宝鋆答应着，先拟旨分寄云南岑毓英，广东张树声和彭玉麟，给了徐延旭革职暂留顶戴的处分。然后宝鋆约了李鸿藻，添上一个张佩纶，一起去见恭王，商议广西和云南两巡抚的调动事宜。 “人是有。不过赤手空拳，那个肯去？兵在何处，将在那里，枪炮子药何在？这些不替人筹好了，请问，”恭王环视一周，眼光落到自己身上：“叫我也不肯去。” “现在该是掌兵权的重臣效命的时候。”李鸿藻说：“左季高总算难为他，已经派了王朗青，李少荃的淮军，也该出出力才是。” “就是这话。”恭王深深点头，“我看和也好，战也好，都少不得一个李少荃，自然也少不得淮军。” 于是顺理成章地决定了正率军援桂的淮军将领，现任湖南巡抚潘鼎新接替徐延旭，再就近调一个早就当过云贵总督，因案革职，光绪六年复起的贵州巡抚张凯嵩接替唐炯为云南巡抚。 “王爷，”张佩纶说道：“法国索兵费六百万镑，此事所关非细，总不宜授人以柄？” “何为授人以柄？” “崇地山的前事可鉴。当年逮问崇地山，俄国以为按万国公法，是敌视该国的明证。如今与法国正在议和，而以与法军开仗失律的疆臣革职，另简将领接替，岂不明示我国不惜周旋到底并无求和的诚意。倘或法国公使以此质问，颇难自解。” “这倒也说得是。”恭王踌躇着说：“难道不作调动？这对上头又如何交代？” “好办得很！”宝鋆接口，“不用明发，不必知照吏部就是了。” “疆臣调动，不用明发，”恭王大摇其头，“从无此例。” “事贵从权。”宝鋆大声说道，“而且例由人兴。” 这话似乎有些强词夺理，但除此以外，别无良策，恭王便看着其余两个问：“你们看呢？” 李鸿藻不作声，张佩纶亦不作声，宝鋆的办法，算是在沉默中确定了。 “此外呢？”恭王又问：“宿将中还有什么人可以起用？” “宿将甚多，但要人地相宜。”张佩纶说，“第一要与淮军有渊源；第二要能耐蛮瘴。不然无用。” 于是不约而同地想起了黄桂兰的前任冯子材。他与张国梁同时，当咸丰初年，江南大营解体，张国梁阵亡，何桂清仓皇从常州逃走，李秀成席卷吴中时，只有他始终扼守镇江。但既不展湘，又不隶淮，派系不同，自受排挤，熬了好多年才当到广西提督，却又因徐延旭，跟他不和，彼此互劾，徐延旭占了上风，冯子材解职，改用黄桂兰接了他的位子。于今徐、黄兵败，相形之下，自然见得冯子材高明了。 但是，冯子材的年纪到底大了，是不是老当益壮，肯不肯复起效劳，都成疑问。所以一时未作结论，要看看西南边境的情形再说。 边报其实是可想而知的，关外败退，关前坚守，倒是京里的情形想不到：清流内讧。 由于张佩纶的气焰太盛，清流之中，早就暗树壁垒。反张的是小一辈的名士，隐然以谦恭下士，谨饬自守的翁同和为宗主。其中知名人物推盛昱为首，其次是福州王氏弟兄。哥哥叫王仁堪，字可庄，光绪三年的状元，弟弟叫王仁东，字旭庄，虽还在读书，却已是响当当的少年名士，他最看不起张佩纶，因为张佩纶搏击满朝，而独独亲附李鸿章，不是欺善怕恶，便是趋炎附势。 北宁失守，在王仁东看，当然是张佩纶误保唐、徐的罪过，少年气盛，不免在稠人广座之间，大加指责，同时觉得本乎爱人以德的道理，想劝张佩纶以“徒采虚声，滥保匪人，贻误大局，自请议处。”去了两次，张佩纶不见，一怒之下，决意绝交，正在写信的当儿，来了一个熟客。 这个客人就是张树声的儿子，外号“清流靴子”的张华奎。自从张树声贸然奏调张佩纶不成，两下结了怨，而张树声代李鸿章为直隶总督时，朝鲜内乱，张树声不听李鸿章不轻用兵的告诫，指派吴长庆渡海平乱，且因得袁世凯的力，处置得宜，益发遭李鸿章的忌，所以张、李亦有貌合神离的模样。这一下，越发要防张佩纶有受李鸿章的指使，有所攻击，因而张华奎代父谋干，一心想去此心腹大患。 然而张佩纶不但上蒙慈眷，且有极硬靠山李鸿藻，所以要去张佩纶，必先去李鸿藻。张华奎认为时机到了，拟了一个奏疏来看王仁东。打开稿子一看，写的是： “唐炯、徐延旭自道员起擢藩司，不二年即抚滇，桂，外间众口一词，皆谓侍讲学士张佩纶荐之于前，而协办大学士李鸿藻保之于后。张佩纶资浅分疏，误采虚声，遽登荐牍，犹可言也，李鸿藻内参进退之权，外顾安危之局，义当博访，务极真知，乃以轻信滥保，使越事败坏至此，即非阿好徇私，律以失人偾事，何说之辞？” 才看了第一段，王仁东就明白了，“劾李相不如专劾丰润。”他说。丰润是指张佩纶。 “是！”张华奎答道：“擒贼先擒王。” 王仁东点点头，将整个折子看完，徐徐问道：“蔼卿，你有什么主意？” “我先请问，旭庄，你看这个折子怎么样？” “清流见重于人，不独在于见识文采，尤在富贵不能淫、威武不能屈、贫贱不能移！”王仁东又发了议论：“象张篑斋，处处说得嘴响，只遇到李合肥，就闪转腾挪，曲意回护，这算什么名堂？这个折子自然痛快。” “那么，再请教，怎么递上去？” "what do you say?" “令兄如何？” 王仁东知道，他那位老兄的态度不如他激烈，未见得肯依从，倘或不肯，自己一定要争，伤了手足的友爱之情。再以清流中的地位来说，他老兄虽是状元，分量究竟还不够，够分量的有一个人，却无把握。因而答道：“你先摆在我这里，等我琢磨琢磨，行不行？” “有什么不行？”张华荃又试探着问：“近来跟盛伯羲常过从否？” 王仁东笑笑不答。心里更打定了主意，所见相同，决定找盛昱出面。 为了言路大哗，无不以为唐炯、徐延旭丧师辱国，因而朝旨革职拿问，责成新任云南巡抚张凯嵩和广西巡抚潘鼎新派员解送刑部。这两道上谕，依照张佩纶的意见，不“明发”，用“廷寄”。当然，知道的人很不少，对此不满的人亦很多，朝廷刑赏，必须明白宣谕，示天下以至公，那有这样偷偷摸摸的道理。 就为了这个缘故，盛昱认为军机的失职，非比寻常。他本来就有“不鸣则已，一鸣惊人”的想法，此时越发觉得该轰轰烈烈搞一下，于是关紧了书房门，改好了张华奎的原稿，亲自誊清，密密固封，递入内奏事处。 慈禧太后打开来一看，事由是：“为疆事败坏，责有攸归，请将军机大臣交部严加议处，责令戴罪图功，以振纲纪而图补救。”不觉瞿然动容。近来论越事的折子不少，大多痛斥唐、徐，弹劾军机大臣的却还仅见。 因此，她命宫女剔亮了灯，聚精会神地细读。第一段是责备张佩纶，牵连及于李鸿藻，再下去就谈到恭王了： “恭亲王、宝鋆久直枢延，更事不少，非无知人之明，与景廉、翁同和之才识凡下者不同，乃亦俯仰徘徊，坐观成败，其咎实与李鸿藻同科。然此犹共见共闻者也，奴才所深虑者，一在目前之蒙蔽，一在将来之诿卸。北宁等处败报纷来，我皇太后皇上赫然震怒，将唐炯、徐延旭拿问，自宜涣大号以励军威，庶几敌忾同仇，力图雪恨，乃该大臣等犹欲巧为粉饰，不明发谕旨，不知照内阁吏部，夫一月之内更调四巡抚，一日之内逮治两巡抚，而欲使天下不知，此岂情理所有？” 慈禧太后不自觉地叹了口气，接着再往下看： “该大臣等唯冀苟安旦夕，遂置朝纲于不顾，试思我大清二百余年有此体制欤？抑我中国数千余年有此政令欤？现在各国驻京公署及沿海各国兵船，纷纷升旗，为法夷致贺。外邦腾笑，朝士寒心，奴才窃料该大臣等视若寻常，未必奏闻也。” 看到这里，慈禧太后便问：“李莲英呢？” 李莲英正在分派慈禧太后出宫随行的太监和宫女，听得传唤，飞快而至，等候示下。 “各国使馆，这几天都升旗了没有？” 这话问得人摸不着头脑，东江米巷的使馆他亦见过，记得是升着五颜六色的旗子，但这几天是不是升旗可就不知道了。 他当然不敢也不肯回说“不知道”，答一句：“奴才马上叫人去瞧。” “快！我等着回话。” 李莲英答应着出了长春宫，找到一个骑马骑得极好的御前侍卫，传宣懿旨，限他半个时辰去瞧了来回话。 “不用去瞧，是升着他们的国旗。” “你怎么知道？”李莲英责备他说：“年轻轻的，别的没有学会，就学会躲懒。” “李大叔，不信你亲自去瞧！洋人的规矩，除了下雨飘雪，每天一早升旗，上灯下旗，一年三百六十天，天天这个样，错不了的。” “不会错？” “错了，你老凭我是问。” 李莲英谅他不敢撒谎，便点点头说：“好吧！你别跟人说什么。” 虽有了结果，他却不立即回长春宫，将自己的事情料理停当，取出李鸿章所送的一个金表看了一下，够了用快马去一趟东江米巷的工夫，才去回奏。 “跟佛爷回话，英国、法国、日本、美国、俄国，各国使馆都升着他们的国旗。” “真的有这回事！”慈禧太后带着恨声，接着倏然抬眼： “德国呢？” 这是数漏了一国，但不能说没有看明白，也不能答得迟疑，不然就是差使办得不够漂亮，李莲英毫不含糊地答道： "No!"